Turkey treads more lightly than expected

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This article was published 25/01/2011 (5550 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TEL AVIV — With the publication of the Israeli and Turkish investigation reports on “Mavi Marmara,” the diplomatic battleground has moved again to the UN in New York.

The Mavi Marmara is a Turkish passenger ship, owned by the Islamic charity Insani Yardin Vakfi, known in its initials IHH.

Last May, it led a six-boat flotilla that tried to break the Israeli blockade on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. It had on board 600 peace activists, 40 of them equipped with clubs, iron rods and knives. Despite intense diplomatic activity aimed at avoiding a confrontation, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was determined to have the flotilla sail toward Gaza. While on high seas, the ship was instructed by the Israeli navy to change course. It refused.

After a fierce encounter, during which nine Turks were killed and more than 50 Israelis and Turks wounded, the Mavi Marmara was captured and brought to the Israeli port of Ashdod. Its cargo was unloaded and after short investigation the passengers were flown back to Istanbul.

A thorough search of the ship, brought Israel a bonanza of evidence about the nature of IHH — an organization that assists terrorist organizations with radical Islamic and anti-Western orientations.

A Geneva-based human rights council, known for its anti-Israel bias, was appointed to investigate the Mavi Marmara incident. Israel refused to co-operate.

As a consequence, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon appointed a panel headed by Geoffrey Palmer, the former prime minister of New Zealand, to investigate all aspects of the case.

Both Israel and Turkey agreed to co-operate with this committee.

Independently, however, both Turkey and Israel conducted their own investigations. The Turkish investigation found that Israel had used excessive force.

Without discrediting the Turkish investigation, the Israeli investigation was much more thorough. The Israeli team was chaired by retired justice Jacob Turkel and, among its members, were two international observers — Kenneth Watkin, a retired brigadier-general and former advocate-general of the Canadian army, and Lord David Trimble, a Nobel peace laureate from Northern Ireland.

Other members of the Turkel commission were Shabetai Rosen, an internationally acclaimed expert in international law; Gen. Amos Horev (ret.), former president of the Israeli Technion; and Reuven Merhav, a former director general of the foreign ministry. All three are known to be affiliated with the Israeli Labour party.

In its 300-page report, the Turkel commission justified both the blockade of the Gaza Strip and the use of force to prevent the smuggling of weapons, terrorists and money to Hamas. It also rejected the notion that the blockade constituted a “collective punishment,” since it allows food, merchandise and medication essential for the survival of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. In concluded that Israeli actions against the aid convoy and its interception in international waters were legal and in concordance with international law. The Turkel commission has also found that the Israeli soldiers acted “in a measured manner in the face of extensive and unanticipated violence”.

As expected, the Turkish prime minister rejected the conclusions of the Turkel commission. He said that the Israeli probe “has no value or credibility.” He added that Turkey still insists on an Israeli apology and compensation for the families of the Mavi Marmara victims as a condition for normalizing relations with Israel. In practical terms it means that, for now, Turkey will not send back its ambassador to Israel.

Israel has had no illusions about this Turkish reaction. It expected it. Nevertheless, Israeli officials found Erdogan’s reaction relatively moderate.

They attribute this to his desire not to burn his bridges with the U.S., especially since the Republicans have regained the control of the House of Representatives and strengthened their presence in the Senate.

The Turkish prime minister understands that, under present developments in Lebanon, where Syria and Hezbollah — with the blessing of Iran — are crippling the pro-Western forces in Beirut, Turkey must be more cautious in its approach to Israel, which is America’s main ally in the Middle East.

Samuel Segev is the Winnipeg

Free Press Mideast correspondent.